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Want to buy Ayre C-5xeMP but...

I have had the Ayre in my system for 4 days and at first I found it to be better than my CDP but after extended listening I am to the point where I don't want to let it go.

My only concern is should I go with a DAC and a server instead?

I do not want to hear a hard drive or the fan of a computer and my display is a DLP and has an annoying fan also, so I never have them on while critical listening. Even the faint noise coming out of the DVR is too much.

I know that music servers are the future of audio but I don't mind changing the CD's. If I want convenience I just burn discs with the songs that I am listening to most of the time and when my mood changes I can throw that one out and burn a new one.

I have thousands of songs on my computer and shuffling through them is great but in my system I am all about sound not convenience.

Are CD's dead and upgrading my CDP a waist of money?

2 channel part of the system consists of..

Krell Evo 707
Krell Evo 400 mono's
B&W 800D's
Meridian G08
Ps Audio PPP
Shunyata Python CX pc's
relentless
tabl10s's avatar
tabl10s
1,008 posts
 
Why not upgrade to the 808.2? A friend has it and sez it bettered his previous player(Spectral 4000)and the full DCS stack before it.
perrew
299 posts
 
Well you can always get a player that has a digital input and then you have both CD and music server. One that comes to my mind is the new Esoteric DV50.
relentless OP
36 posts
 
From what I have read about the 808.2 I have to believe it is a incredible sounding player. But it puts you in a whole different category price wise with lots of great players to choose from, Wadia 781i, Esoteric X01/D2, Puccini to name a few.

I thought about the SA-50 with the USB input but I had an Esoteric X05 in my system and at first I liked it a lot, very lively and great bass but after listening for a few days I decided to stay with the Meridian.

So far the Ayre is the only one that makes me want to upgrade my player. I have been thinking about this and it is truly difficult to decide on which way to go. If the DAC/computer combo does sound as good as the player, now I have to figure out where to put everything. I will need a small computer, small display, external hard drive, keyboard and mouse. These things are steering me towards just getting the player. I have to see what the dealer can come up with for me(he is getting the loaner DAC in a few days). In the end with all things considered the price will be about the same.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,606 posts
 
The ayer is a great unit. I preferred my Esoterix X03SE but that may be my syestem and room. I felt less digital, better resolution and timber, detail and greater soundstage depth-but that could be my system-solid state, electrostatics and a small room. I didn't care for the Meridian (802+) as it didn't play sacd's and wasn't as musical on redbook. My music server system kicks butt (benchmark dac+squeezebox/CI power supply and stupid cables/isolation/line conditioning-but can't hold a candle to the Esoteric. I may go for the Berkely dac for the squeezebox but I am convinced, the server is only as good as the dac, so may need to go with an Esoteric D3 to match the CD player-wich just may not be worth it, but should/would sound as good.
sarcher30
596 posts
 
If you have a Linn dealer near by, check out an Akurate DS. It's about the same price as the Arye. I have had one for a few months and love it. I have network storage in another room so theres no noise. You can also control it from an Apple itouch or iphone which makes absolutley no noise. You just need a wireless router so the itouch can access the network storage.
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